The present invention comprises a new Pelargonium, botanically known as Pelargonium interspecific, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘PEQZ0017’.
‘PEQZ0017’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar ‘PEQZ0017’ has light pink flowers with a darker pink spot in the center of the petals, continuous color through the most extreme summer heat, and exceptional edema tolerance on a medium size, well-branched plant habit.
‘PEQZ0017’ originates from a hybridization in a controlled breeding program made in 2010 in a greenhouse in Guatemala, Central America. The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary plant of P. interspecific parentage, identified as ‘10934-1’ with light pink color florets that had a center spot in the petals and a larger growing plant when compared to ‘PEQZ0017’.
The male parent of ‘PEQZ0017’ was an unpatented, proprietary plant of P. interspecific parentage, identified as ‘10816-3’ with rose colored florets that also had spots in the center of the petals and was later to flower had more susceptible to botrytis when compared to ‘PEQZ0017’. The resultant seed was sown in March 2010.
‘PEQZ0017’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in June 2010 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.
The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘PEQZ0017’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in the July 2010 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.